ATLANTA — The start of Game 3 of the Atlanta Hawks’ playoff series against the Miami Heat was delayed over 30 minutes after a suspicious package was found near State Farm Arena shortly before tipoff Friday.
According to Atlanta police, the package was found near a building at 100 Centennial Olympic Park Drive, about a half-mile southwest of the stadium. The streets around the area were shut down and SWAT team officers were en route to search, a department spokeswoman said.
NBA league sources told Channel 2 Action News arena security discovered the packaged and called in bomb-sniffing dogs to check the stadium.
The stands of State Farm Arena were mostly empty, as fans waited outside to be allowed in. Many gates were shut down once the package was discovered.
